Avarice. Rapacity. Acquisitiveness. Cupidity. Avidity. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” (Mahatma Gandhi). As our gospel passage from Luke details, “greed” by any definition causes us to venture far from the Christian faith we hold, the presence of Christ in our daily lives and endeavors. Pope Francis provides a provoking reflection for our personal journey as a believer: We ask ourselves and each of us may wonder: Does the Lord feel truly at home in my life? Do we allow him to do a 'cleansing' in our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of greed, jealousy, worldliness, envy and hatred, that habit of gossiping and tearing down others? What is this “rich in what matters with God”? Though we are all affected by greed to some degree, we are each endowed with that “in what matters with God.” And such is pointed out in Colossians 3:12, an awareness of what each of us as Christians is capable of: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Regardless of our different personalities, interests, abilities and frailties, we each are holy and beloved, and those simple day to day elements of kindness & compassion, humility & gentleness, and patience can distill any urge towards greed. Faith will be our personal guise, so to speak, beckoning our awareness of the chosen character we are capable of—a gentle spirit, sincere compassion, patient kindness, and to walk humbly with God. As the Diocese prods us forward with the Pastoral Planning changes for our Boone County Catholic Churches, we are about to transition into one Finance Board for the three churches as mandated by the Diocese. (Hopefully, a unified Pastoral Council will follow sometime in the fall.) Our first meeting will be in early August. At present the finances of the two churches (Sacred Heart and St. Malachy are separate and will remain so for the calendar year. On the board are the directors: Gaylia Ostermeier and Greg Grimm have been our directors at St. Madrid, carefully watching over our activities and grounds; now guiding us toward the hoped for classroom additions. Tom Venner and Rita Phillips are our directors at Sacred Heart, both active and concerned about our parish and school. All four directors are conscientious about the churches remaining a welcoming place for parishioners and visitors alike. (In time two of the directors will remain in the capacity with the other two staying on our Finance Board.) Joining our directors on the board are: Keith Kudej, Nick Lentz, Pete Thomsen, Eric Seeman, Josh Jacobsen (School rep), Sue Eldridge (School Principal) and myself. A brief background on the diocesan stipulations for Parish Finance Boards: practicing Catholics; serve staggered three year terms; have some background in financial affairs; review and approve the annual budget and salaries; consulted on hirings; review the month to month financial activities; be transparent with the parish concerning the financial status. Likewise the Diocese has norms for lay directors of parishes: each parish shall have two directors, nominated by the pastor and approved by the Bishop; practicing Catholic; terms vary from three years to extended; not an employee of the parish; serve on the Finance Board; act as a liaison between pastor and parishioners. We are grateful for the faith, time, and concern our lay directors provide; and for those volunteering their time on the Finance Board, guiding our parish resources for the ongoing mission of our Catholic faith. At the same time, many thanks for those who volunteer within our parish especially those who give of their time and faith as teachers or aides in our religious programs. Their faith and presence and willingness is the seen of hope for our youngsters and teenagers, keeping their faith active in their relationships and daily endeavors. Thank you. God Bless, Fr. Tim FYI. “August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” (Sylvia Plath, poet & author)